Thursday, June 30, 2005

5 Day catchup

It seems strange that I haven't blogged for 5 days on my personal blog.
I have blogged several times on my tech tips, blog tips and excel tips sites, done several posts on my brothers site for him and helped my daughter write her very first blog post (she wrote it - I just showed her how).
I have also done some work for a client (while at home), organised work for next week, done most of my finances for the end of year tax accounting and totally changed the colours on Dan and Pris Gollan's website.
I have watched tennis, gone for a bike ride, and played ball games with Mercedes, read books to Erin and played Monopoly with Jadeen and Miranda.
I have also played quite a bit of Ferentus with Judith and Jamie. It's nice going into an online massive multiplayer with friends to help you when you get into trouble.


Posted by: Jethro | 1:55 AM |

Sunday, June 26, 2005

RIP and Federer advances to round 4 at Wimbledon

My big blood red oscar died tonight. He is the last of 6 I bought over 6 years ago. He was nearly dead and not breathing when I placed him in the garbage can - knowing he would expire in 2-3 minutes as opposed to struggling on in the tank for hours. I think he may have a tumour in his intestine.

In other news my favourite tennis player Roger Federer advanced to round 4 of the Wimbledon championship tonight. He bet Kiefer 3-1, but it could well have gone to a 5 set match. He is such a casual player - ice in his veins I reckon. He didn't look even the slightest perturbed when he lost his service game to put Kiefer in the position to serve for the set taking it to 2-2. Instead he calmly went about returning Kiefer's serve 15-50 to win that game, then served his own game and then broke Kiefer's serve again to take the set and seal the match.
Can't wait to see him take on Lleyton Hewitt in round 5 assuming Lleyton makes it. I think he will as he seems to be playing more confidently with each match.


Posted by: Jethro | 1:20 AM |

Saturday, June 25, 2005

Soccer result for today

We drew 2-2 in our outside game today. Although we were a better team skillwise the other team was mostly older and larger blokes who played pretty dirty and a physically intimidating game. As we have 5 young fellas who are under 17 on our team I thought we played fairly well in difficult circumstances. I had my work cut out for me marking the two forwards along with the other center back, neither of whom kicked a goal in play. The guy I spent most of the game shoving around took a penalty kick with 5 minutes to go to level 2-2 with us after we had gone ahead 2-1. Fortunately I didn't give away the free kick, and it was a soft penalty also. The ref was young and inexperienced and only gave one free kick all day for shoving, and that was against me. He ignored all the major shoves and after about 15 minutes I gave in and started being physical also. I really muscled up to the forward who was about 10kgs lighter than me and just muscled him off all the high balls and headers. We were constantly in each others face but it was surprisingly friendly and there was no animosity felt. I think we both realised that we played a good game. I actually scored the first goal against us - an own goal from a corner kick that came in and the forward shoved me and ran for it. I took him out from behind by slamming my body into his in a poorly disguised attempt at the ball causing him to crash onto our keeper squashing him. In the process the ball bounced between them and hit my knee richochetting into the goal. To be fair to me the guy did use both his hands to shove me and the ref didn't see it leaving me behind him.
I don't like playing dirty but if the ref isn't going to call it and the other team is out to hurt the young guys on our team than I am not afraid to use my muscle to hurt them back. This same guy took out one of our young fellas last time we played them with a poor tackle from behind.
From that time I used all the opportunities to go at high balls as a chance to run at them and crash down on them from above. This tactic became fairly successful with me winning most of these challenges and eventually them leaving me to get it with out challenging.
Can't wait for the next game!


Posted by: Jethro | 8:51 PM |

Home again and soccer

We won indoor soccer again 6-0.
Now off to shopping for presents for Miranda's party and then soccer.


Posted by: Jethro | 8:59 AM |

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Grrrrr....

I am up north at the coal mines again. I played two competition games of squash tonight. I lost both of them in 3 games and managed a miserable 9 points in each match. That's not what's annoying though. I expected to get thrashed in the first and beaten in the second. Both the guys particularlt the first one are way better than me. To compare the first guy I played thrashed the second one before I played either of them.
What annoys me is missing shots I know I could make, and not making good shot selections. I am playing probably as well as I ever have played, and playing up with these guys is part of that. It's not age or fitness (nmost of the time) either.
I think its the competitive edge has just gone. I just don't seem to care or want to win. Soccer is differnt - there I play hard and aggressively to win. Squash - nah - I enjoy it but can't be bothered whether I win or not.


Posted by: Jethro | 8:57 PM |

Monday, June 20, 2005

Played 135 minutes of soccer yesterday

Saturday afternoon I went to play soccer, and due to being early I actually managed to play a half a game for the previous match due to one team being short a player.
I played at center back / center mid and got more touches on the ball than any one else in their team in the first 5 minutes.
After that things sttled down a bit. The score at half time had been 2-2. By the end of the game it was 4-4 so was quite a bit of fun.
Then I backed up for my team and played the full 90 minutes as center back / sweeper with the other chap who plays this position. We did let two goals past us, but we ended beating the top team in the division 5-2. We are now top of the table.
By the way the other team I played for was one division above us, but I think our team would have thrashed either of the teams playing. Neither were very skilful and their was no intensity in the game.
I really felt on top of my game yesterday, with skilful touches on the ball, goal saving clearances and headers. I totally shut down the center forward player on the other team. He scored neither of their two goals, that being left to solo runs by their center mid player who got both their goals.
I think I have just played the best weekend of soccer I have ever played - excluding the grand final I won in 1995.


Posted by: Jethro | 12:38 AM |

Saturday, June 18, 2005

Mountain Biking Tours in Australia

In response to Philip's request here is a small list of mountain biking tour operators in Australia.

Various Cairns Operators
Diversion Dive Travel
EcoTrek
Island Cycle Tours
Freycinet Adventures

Or you could just come to Brisbane and I will take you on some serious tracks. I know enough tracks to keep you amused for at least a week.
If you really wanted to cycle across the whole of Australia I would allow several months. It is a BIG country!


Posted by: Jethro | 10:05 AM |

Friday, June 17, 2005

We won soccer

Convincing win - probably our best game ever in the indoor arena.
Check the results
I kept most of the game - after the goals were scored against us and let none in which was very good.
Tommorrow I play 90 minutes outdoor again.


Posted by: Jethro | 8:08 PM |

Adultery

Jude writes a thoughtful piece on adultery. We have a number of friends in marriage breakdowns right now, some with adultery and some not. It's tough on them and on us as we help them. Another couple who are close friends are helping two couples right now. Both us and them have re-evaulated our marriages as a result. Thankfully we are all committed to ensuring our marriages work regardless of what happens. I only wish our other friends had this resolve, but it seems that if it's too hard that "out" is an option.
In the meantime we struggle and cry with them as they work through their issues.


Posted by: Jethro | 12:34 AM |

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Star Wars Epsiode 3 Revenege of the Sith

Forgot to say that Jude and I went and saw the final chapter of the Star Wars Saga.
It was a bit of an anticlimax from a narrative perspoective, as we broadly speaking knew what was going to happen. I guess its hard to see episode 3 when you know what epsiode 4 is and not be surprised at the path of the story. However the movie itself was breathtaking in its expanse, cinematography and its pace. Some of the emotive stuff was a little slow paced and made me want to hurry it along. On the other side though I felt that the conversion to the dark side was way too quick. I don't know how else George could have done it though, so my criticism is really only my misunderstanding perhaps.

Personal favorites were Ben Obi Wan Kinobe fighting Count Dooku General Grievous and the clones - that was really good. Of couse Yoda and the wookies were funny, and the fight between the Sith lord (senator Palpatine at the time) and the Jedi was pretty good also.
The opening scene alone is worth watching the movie again for.

With subtle hints dropped I think the boxed DVD set will eventually grace my library shelves for repeat viewing of the whole 6 episodes.


Posted by: Jethro | 1:36 AM |

Monday, June 13, 2005

Riding again then walking

Rode early again today - went up the trail I came down last time. Got nearly to the top before a client called - meant I had a good rest while I chatted to him in the middle of the bush.
Got to the top and started down the gnarly little jump track - met a lady partway down walking her two dogs up. She apparently goes out into the bush quite a bit to walk.
Got some better air this time and quite a bit faster also now I know the track better. Then I went a different way down hill but ended up in the same spot. So I chose another route out of there and as I jumped a creek I landed hard on a rock on the rear wheel giving me a flat.
No worries I thought hauling out the spare tube I carry and fitting it to the bike to discover that my mini doubleshot pump is no longer working. I think the seal on the ram has gone.
So I had a pleasant 3 km walk out of the bush and home.

Next job was to empty the LARGE fish tank ot - It will be going tonight - out of my life after 6-7 years. It is 1000 litres. I am getting another 400 litre tank to go beside the other one - same size and height. I am also getting hoods and new pumps.
Then I can split my fish up into the tanks and hope they breed again.

This afternoon we are going to Jude's mums and she will look after the kids while Jude and I go for a ride on the vibrating toilet seat. At least thats what Jude calls my Warrior.


Posted by: Jethro | 10:49 AM |

Sunday, June 12, 2005

Riding

I went for a ride today. Forced myself to keep a steady cadence up the steep hill, and then when I got to the top I was rewarded with some gnarly downhills including the trail the chap was riding last week when he broke his leg. Had a blast. I didn't get a lot of air though as this was the first time down this track. Next time I will be hitting some of the bumps with a bit more pace now I know what the dowhnhill side of them is like.
Part way down I met a chap running with his dog. We have made a date to ride together Monday morning - looking forward to it! My GT Avalanche is working really well for me. I wonder what he rides. I know I prefer my hardtail to a suspension bike. I do have suspension on the front forks now - but I have it set as hard as it can go. I prefer to feel the trail and the suspension just takes the judder from washed out ruts out without making me lose the feeling of the track.


Posted by: Jethro | 12:51 AM |

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

I can fly!

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to fly?
I remember reading in "The Restaurant at the end of the Universe", Douglas Adam's description of flying vividly, but I don't fly like that.
I have literally had thousands of dreams where I fly. In most of these dreams it is an act of conscious will to float into the sky.
Sometimes the flying is fast and dangerous, other times it is as if I were a hot air balloon, rising gently upwards then drifting over the scenery.
Usually my flying dreams are only about the flying. Occasionally I will have a dream where I am being chased and flying is my method of escape. I don't know what these dreams mean. Do you have any idea?


Posted by: Jethro | 6:44 PM |

Tuesday, June 07, 2005

Just played squash

I lost - but the guy gave me some great coaching afterward.
I think I will go better tomorrow night. I didn't play badly most of the game but I reckon I will play a lot better now he has given me some great coaching.

Still away at the coal mines - not long to go now...

Oh and the ex landlords are going to give us most of our bond. Actually the real estate agent is - they have been real good and refused to give in to the landlord's crazy demands - or we would have got none of it back! They even did some stuff for us specially at their own cost.
A BIG THANK YOU to Paul at Ray White Burpengary.


Posted by: Jethro | 9:16 PM |

Monday, June 06, 2005

Don't let them get your Goat

Thanks to John I now know where the saying "Don't let them get your Goat" came from.


Posted by: Jethro | 10:55 PM |

Paramedics come by chopper

Friday night I flew home. Saturday all day I was at a LAN and I got home at 1AM.
Sunday I got up early and went to the markets to see the fish tank guy, give him the cheque from the insurance company and arranged for him to come and see the tanks on Monday. Then we went to church (via McDonalds) and then we came home for lunch.
In the middle of the afternoon Jude decided to go to the nursery to look at plants. I elected not to go and decided to go for a bike ride. Jude said "take your phone". I was going to the same place I broke my collarbone last year.
I hopped on my GT Avalanche and headed for the bush. Following some dirt tracks I hadn't ridden before I ended up near a road before heading back into the bush. I took intersection choices by random and at one point I ended up in a dead end. As I realised this another bike rider appeared. He was on a downhill specialist bike. He said he had been doing some jumps. I offered to come and see them. When we got to the jump I said "no way" to jumping over that. The jump had been scooped out before the ramp which was supported with wood, following was a deep pit and then a ramp at the other end to come down on. The distance between the take off and the landing ramps was about 12-15 feet. The rider, Mike, said he had done it several times that day.
Anyway I lay down in the pit, pulled my phone out and switched to video mode and waited. As I head him come I started recording and got a magnificent shot of flying bike followed by a crashing sound. I leaped out of the pit to find him lying between two trees with the bike wedged at the front of one of the trees. I asked if he was OK and he stated calmly that he had broken his leg. I checked and it sure looked broken. I immediately dialled 000 for emergency (thanks Jude) and started organising an ambulance to come to the road where he had parked his car. I then trekked uphill (a real cool track by the way that I am definitely going to ride now I know its there) and headed out to the road. I reckon that was a good kilometre and a half.
The ambulance arrived shortly, driven by one of my old footy mates, followed by a second ambulance. While they were looking at the distance to approach from the top, I suggested we go from the bottom, from the point where I had come close to the road. They agreed and when we got there I estimated about 800 metres. (I think it was closer to a kilometre actually.) I rang Jude and she came up in the car with blankets, a torch and all the kids. The ambos raidioed for a chopper and then loaded up a stretcher with emergency gear and we headed in. I helped carry the stretcher and by the time we got to Mike it was nearly dark. Being a tropical climate nightfall happens pretty fast. The chopper arrived with just enough light for us to see it and guide them to us and it hung over us with a huge wash of air, pebbles and stones and dirt being flung at us. We attended to Mike under a blanket injecting morphine and then splinting the leg (in the wrong place as it turned out) before lifting him onto the airlift stretcher and tying him in. The chopper then lifted up the stretcher with one paramedic hanging beside him and then took the second paramedic with the gear. Once they left we really noticed the dark as the chopper had had a huge spotlight on us making it like daylight as we worked. The ambos had one torch among 4 of them and I had my torch. I rode the crashed bike and carried a bunch of his gear as well. After we got out Jude and I went and got his car and drove it to my place where his brother picked it up later at night.
The End.


Posted by: Jethro | 8:22 AM |

Friday, June 03, 2005

Home Again Jiggety Jig

One week to go in this rotation. I am back for 3 days - though tomorrow is at a LAN,
Then I will be home for most of a week! Hooray.
Jobs galore to catch up on.


Posted by: Jethro | 10:24 PM |

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

I've Been Tagged!

Rasita tagged me
It's my turn.
Which three should I choose, hmmmm!

If I could be a scientist...
If I could be a farmer...
If I could be a musician...
If I could be a doctor...
If I could be a painter...
If I could be a gardener...
If I could be a missionary...
If I could be a chef...
If I could be a architect...
If I could be a linguist...
If I could be a psychologist...
If I could be a librarian...
If I could be an athlete...
If I could be a lawyer...
If I could be an inn-keeper...
If I could be a professor...
If I could be a writer...
If I could be a llama-rider...
If I could be a bonnie pirate...
If I could be an astronaut...
If I could be a world famous blogger...
If I could be a justice on any one court in the world...
If I could be married to any current famous political figure...

Now I have to choose 3 and answer them.

If I could have been married to Hilary Clinton I would not have treated her the way her rat of a husband did.
If I could have been a bonnie pirate I would not have raped, killed and pillaged with no regard for my victims.
If I could have been a justice in the court in Bali I would have released Schapelle Corby.

I tag John, Doug and Philip.


Posted by: Jethro | 8:31 PM |